Even in Boca Raton, Hedgies Can’t Escape ‘Occupy Wall Street’

By Steve Eder

You can leave New York, but don’t be surprised if the “Occupy Wall Street” mentality follows you.

Wall Street types, arriving at the luxurious Boca Raton Resort & Club, on Sunday for the four-day hedge fund event, GAIM USA, were greeted by a crowd of about two dozen protesters from the nearby “Occupy Palm Beach” movement, conference organizers said.

The protesters weren’t there on Monday, but there was still a police presence outside the resort, where rooms often cost over $300 a night.

Inside the conference, some attendees and speakers chuckled at the notion of the protesters coming to a hedge fund conference.

One attendee made the point that hedge funds really weren’t the culprits in the financial crisis — that designation is typically reserved for banks. But then again, hedge fund managers do make up a fair share of the so-called “1%”

Boca police said they weren’t expecting a big demonstration as local ordinances make it tough to congregate. Still, a fountain outside the resort and a grassy area surrounded by palm trees were sectioned off with red netting, with “POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS” markers.

A conference organizer welcomed the protesters.

“It clear they recognize the importance of GAIM,” said Daniel Strachman, of the Institute for International Research, which helped organized the conference. “It’s great that they are able to protest.”

Comments (5 of 5)

InfinityBlues, nothing you say is based on truth. You spout off this generic OWS party line about hedge funds, but your ilk use the exact same nonsensical language to blame banks, successful people, any corporation larger than a breadbox, and anyone else who isn't a consiracy theorist for the lousy hand you think you've been dealt. BUt you are blind to where the blame really lies - at your own feet because of the bad choices you've made in your life.

Most hedge funds are started by and staffed with honest, hard working people who actually enjoy their work. It's like an extra complicated game of chess, trying to make money in the markets whether the markets are up or down. Of course there are a few bad apples, but not more than in any other profession. Why don't you go occupy doctors offices since they make a lot of money and some are dishonest? No one holds a gun to the heads of the investors who allocate capital to hedge funds. Investors allocate capital because they know that it makes sense to have a portion of their money there in order to have some returns with low correlation to market returns in their portfolios. Getting too complicated for you? You wouldnt want the facts to cloud your perception, now would you.

3:41 pm January 23, 2012

WPHIII wrote :

InfinityBlues - What in the world are you talking about? You wrote a lot of big words in your comment but it doesn't seem like you actually know what you are saying. You might want to try again. Or don't. I don't think anyone would really care. "Ignorance to scientific data"... "regurgitating discredited memes" ... "propagated corporate media" ... "the 'know'" - Can you please explain this along with your claim that "their actions caused the recession" and how "their (they?) are living (it?) up at the American People's expense"? Thank you.

3:11 pm January 23, 2012

InfinityBlues wrote :

Da truth It's a shame you don't educate yourself more. Using the comments to illustrate your own ignorance to scientific data and regurgitating discredited memes insults yourself. Stop getting your news from propagated corporate media and get in the "know". And YES those hedge fund scammers know exactly how their actions has caused the recession and yet here their are living up at the American People's expense. Shame on them.

3:07 pm January 23, 2012

JEHR wrote :

A hedge fund conference called GAIM USA know what they are doing, no doubt about that!!!! Game away you hedge funders!!!

2:44 pm January 23, 2012

Da'Truth wrote :

Hey Occupiers! How many job applications have you filled out this week?? Yeah, I know, you filled out a half dozen three years ago and never got an interview so 'What's the use?', right???

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